Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Carl Anderson was born Carlton Earl Anderson on February 27, 1945 in Lynchburg, Virginia, one of 12 children to James and Alberta Anderson. During his junior year of high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a communications technician for two years. Honorably discharged and returning home he completed high school, graduating in 1965. He went on to sing at military bases across the United States as part of the World Wide Air Force Talent Contest.
Making his way to Washington, D.C. in 1969, he and some friends formed a group called The Second Eagle with Anderson handling the vocals. They covered jazz and rock tunes that included songs from the album Jesus Christ Superstar, released long before the stage production was launched. In 1971, a talent agent from the William Morris Agency saw Anderson perform some songs from the show at St. Stephen’s Church and recognized his potential as a solo performer.
His global popularity and star power came from his role as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar both on Broadway and in the film. He also had rolesin The Black Pearl, The Color Purple, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Cop Rock, Days of Our Lives, and Hill Street Blues.
As a recording artist, Carl was equally prolific, initially signing with Motown Records in 1972, working with Stevie Wonder on his Songs in the Key of Life double album, as well as numerous others. While working the club circuit in Los Angeles, California he was noticed by and signed to Columbia Records and released four albums on their Epic label. He would go on to perform duets with Gloria Loring, Angie Bofill, Linda Eder and Nancy Wilson.
His duet with Loring, Friends and Lovers, reached Number 2 on the charts, and endeared Anderson to soap opera fans, after being performed on Days of Our Lives. He also recorded Between You and Me, as the title theme for the film Her Alibi.
In 2003 he had a minor car accident on his way to perform and while being treated for his injuries, doctors discovered that he had leukemia. Soul jazz vocalist and actor Carl Anderson passed away the following year from the illness on February 23, 2004, in Los Angeles, just four days before his 59th birthday.
Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Chris Anderson was born on February 26, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois and self-taught, began playing in Chicago clubs in the mid-1940s and played with Von Freeman and Charlie Parker, among others. Hired as Dinah Washington’s accompanist, his tenure with her was brief, as Washington changed accompanists frequently. She fired him in New York six weeks after hiring him, but he chose to remain in the city.
In 1960 he recorded what might be his best regarded album My Romance on the VeeJay label with bassist Bill Lee and drummer Art Taylor. Despite the respect of his peers, Anderson had difficulty finding work or popular acclaim due in large part to his disabilities. He was blind and his bones were unusually fragile, causing numerous fractures, which at times compromised his ability to perform at the times or places requested.
He continued to record until he was well into his 70s. A DownBeat profile indicated he had Osteogenesis, probably meaning osteogenesis imperfecta.
Pianist Chris Anderson, who was best known for his influence on his student Herbie Hancock, passed away of a stroke on February 4, 2008 in Manhattan, New York. He was 81.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Richard Bently Boone was born on February 24, 1930 in Little Rock, Arkansas and began singing in a Baptist church choir as a boy. By age twwelve he was playing the trombone. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army from 1948 to 1953 where he played trombone in a military band. Following his discharge from the Army, he returned to Little Rock to study music at Philander Smith College.
In 1956 Boone moved to Los Angeles, California where he played with Dolo Coker, Sonny Criss, and Dexter Gordon. Working in the backup band for Della Reese between 1962 and 1966, he then became a member of the Count Basie band. A few years later he left Basie and emigrated to Copenhagen, Denmark and mking it his home, performed with the Ernie Wilkins Big Band.
Trombonist and scat singer Richard Boone passed away in Copenhagen on February 8, 1999.
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Three Wishes
The inquiry of three wishes came from the Baroness to Paul Bley who told her:
- “To never hear another chord!”
- “To be driven home to Fourteenth Street and Eighth Avenue. Thank you very much! I’ll tell you my other wish next time I see you.”
- “To have God on your side.”
*Excerpt from Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats ~ Compiled and Photographed by Pannonica de Koenigswarter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Sterling Belmont “Bozo” Bose was born on September 23, 1906 in Florence, Alabama and his style was heavily influenced by Bix Beiderbecke and changed little over the course of his life.
His early experience came with Dixieland jazz bands in his native Alabama before moving to St. Louis, Missouri in 1923. He played with the Crescent City Jazzers, the Arcadian Serenaders, and the Jean Goldkette’s Orchestra in 1927-28 after the departure of Beiderbecke. Following this he worked in the house band at radio station WGN in Chicago, Illinois before joining Ben Pollack from 1930 to 1933. He also worked with Eddie Sheasby in Chicago.
Moving to New York City in 1933, Bose had many gigs in the city during the 1930s to the mid 1940s, including time with Joe Haymes, Tommy Dorsey, Ray Noble, Benny Goodman, Lana Webster, Glenn Miller, Bob Crosby, Bobby Hackett, Bob Zurke, Jack Teagarden, Bud Freeman, George Brunies, Bobby Sherwood, Miff Mole, Art Hodes, Horace Heidt, and ending with Tiny Hill in 1946.
Following this period he did some further freelancing for the next two years in Chicago and New York, and finally moved to Florida in 1948, setting up his own bands there. Suffering from an extended period of illness in the 1950s, trumpeter and cornetist Sterling Bose, whose nickname was Bozo, eventually committed suicide in June of 1958. in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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